Yandy Díaz is heating up at the perfect time for the Tampa Bay Rays, adding three hits in a 12-1 win over the Phillies after driving in four runs against the Yankees. With Victor Mesa Jr. also surging, Tampa Bay's lineup is getting deeper just before the MLB playoffs.
The Tampa Bay Rays have looked like one of the most complete teams in baseball for most of the season. And that continues to remain the same as we enter game 162 on Sunday.
But there was one thing starting to concern me before October.
Yandy Díaz wasn't hitting. And was still leaning off for Tampa Bay.
That finally appears to be changing, and hopefully at the right time.
Díaz recorded three more hits during Tampa Bay's 12-1 demolition of the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday night, continuing what has quietly become a very encouraging final week for one of the most important hitters in the Rays lineup.
The timing couldn't be better.
Díaz entered the final stretch of the regular season struggling at the plate. That's always concerning, but especially when you're talking about the guy expected to hit at the top of the lineup against some of the best pitchers in baseball.
Then came Tuesday.
Díaz delivered two massive two-run singles against the New York Yankees, finishing with four RBI as Tampa Bay clinched the American League East.
One game wasn't enough for me to declare the problem solved, but Saturday gave us more evidence that he can be back to his normal all-star caliber self.
Díaz added three hits against Philadelphia and looked considerably more like the hitter Tampa Bay has relied on throughout the season.
The offense still has its moments of weakness, and it's something that I will most certainly be concerned about during the postseason, but my trust in the team is definitely getting better after seeing Díaz bounce back.
The depth of the lineup is also promising.
Victor Mesa Jr. went 4-for-5 Saturday and continues to provide something this Rays lineup desperately needs heading into October.
Length.
Opposing pitchers already have to deal with Díaz, Richie Palacios, Junior Caminero, and Liam Hicks. Now Mesa is becoming another legitimate problem deeper in the lineup.
Phillies pitcher Cristopher Sánchez struck out 10 Rays as Tampa Bay finished with only six hits in a 2-0 victory Saturday. The entire team struck out 12 times.
But on Sunday, they bounced back. Seventeen hits. Twelve runs. Five walks. And a 7-for-16 performance with runners in scoring position.
However, once again, the Rays still struck out nine times, so I'm not completely dismissing the concern.
October is going to bring elite pitching almost every night.
But you're not going to face an ace for all nine innings of every postseason game. Eventually, teams have to turn to another starter or their middle relief.
Tampa Bay has shown it can punish those pitchers.
And if Díaz is truly starting to look like himself again while Mesa continues producing behind him, this lineup suddenly becomes considerably more difficult to navigate.
